The Freight of the Ryukyu Drifting Boats Based on Qing Dynasty Archives -Centered on Sugar -

摘要

Many Ryukyu boats were drifted ashore in coastal areas of mainland China from the 17th century through the late 19th century. You can refer to these historical documentation in the book 「Selected documentation of China-Ryukyu relations in Qing Dynasty」 which was public by China First Historical Archives. Lots of boat-drift cases are written in this book from Qianlong era to Guangxu era of Qing Dynasty. By studying cargo on board form those cases, various cargo type and forms of transportation can be found. Because of the lack of Historical socioeconomic archives of Ryukyu Dynasty, without historical archives of Meiji dynasty or Qing dynasty, it is very difficult to clarify the situation, such as socioeconomic life of the people of the Ryukyu Dynasty. So it’s necessary to use the historical archives of Qing Dynasty from Qianlong era to Guangxu era, it’s a time than more than 130 years form early 18th century to late 19th century. According Qing Dynasty archives, it’s easily to find out where those Ryukyu boats set sail and where did they trying to transport those sugar. Focusing on sugar which those Ryukyu drifted boats carried, this thesis is trying to discuss sugar-producing area and transportation form in Ryukyu from Qing Dynastyarchives.